What happens when one of the funniest and smartest authors around gets interviewed by a MythBuster? Hear which space legends might be as combustible as urban ones when Mary Roach and Adam Savage chat it up about Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, San Francisco’s One City One Book selection for 2011.

Before the conversation, enjoy the premiere of Rockets of Yesterday, an eye-popping video tour of 1950s and 60s rocket dreams, curated by archivist and space enthusiast Megan Prelinger.

Mary Roach is the author of the bestselling books Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. She lives in Oakland, California.

Adam Savage is an American industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters.

Packing for Mars will be available for purchase from Readers Bookstore and Mary will be signing after the program.

Note: Seating is limited. Doors will open at 5:45pm.

Plus, an extra sweet partnership:

Smitten Ice Cream in Hayes Valley – the folks behind that space age-y liquid nitrogen fueled instant ice cream maker — is making a special new space-themed flavor, Moon Pie, to coincide/partner with San Francisco Public Library’s annual One City One Book which this year is Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. A space themed ice cream flavor for a space-themed book!

The Moon Pie flavor will be a marshmallow ice cream with chocolate and graham cracker cookies. Yum.

The Library will be setting up a table outside Smitten’s shop next Thursday (10/27) and Friday (10/28) at 4 p.m. and Saturday 10/29 at Noon, giving away some free copies of the Packing for Mars book to the first handful of people who order the new Moon Pie flavor. Smitten is located at: 432 Octavia Street at Linden in Hayes Valley.

Plus, the Library’s big One City One Book event on Nov. 2 (Author Mary Roach in Conversation with Adam Savage) at the Main Library will feature an extra special prize treat courtesy of Smitten.”